Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-29
CELESTE'S WEDDING.

One day business requiring my presence
at Y. a small town with population
OF 5000 or COCO inhabitants, distant
twenty miles from Paris, | arrived there
about 10 in the forenoon, and was greatly
surprised TO find the streets, which are
generally so silent and peaceful, un
usually animated Groups Of men were
standing in front OF the shops, women
Were gessiping at the windows, young
men and young girls were vending then
way toward the public square, while
urchins were running about liz every di-
rection.
The Hotel Of Commerce, my customary
stopping place, seemed upside down.
Travellers, who had been abandoned to
their fate by the walters. were Juggling
furiously at their bell cords, one calling
for has boots, another for his breakfast,
this one wanted his mail. that one his
paper. while the corridors were the scene
of an lndescribablc confusion. The mas
ter of the house, a stout, Jovial man,
known to all a. Father Philip, travelled
up stairs and down, perspiring, painting
and Tuning, at loss as to which call he
should answer first. I stopped him as be
was going by.
Hello! Father Philip" said I, with a
laugh, what is the natter Are your
servants on striker
'Ahr' replied he, as he mopped his
face furiously with his handkerchief,
don't speak of it. sir. Although I had
forbidden it, they have all gone to the
wedding. All. here they are now, coming
back! 1t is about timer'
With contrite looks and hanging heads,
the three walters were returning. as he
said, sDeaking along the wall. But Fa-
theT Philip. red as a boiled lobster, had
caught sight Of them, and without wait
ing for explanations, he baWled AT the
top of his voice:
Say, are you all trying TO make a fool
of me2 Auguste, chocolate to :. coffee
with milk to IL, letters 10 g, Emile, 16's
boots, 6's hat, Petit Journal for , No.
Is bill Jules, las breakfast, The Time
Table for 81
Without any questions, Auguste, Emile
aEd jules disappeared up the staircase as
ii by magic We heard them sCurrying
along the halls on the upper floor; doors
were slammed. and i've minutes later the
house had recovered its usual serenity.
Then only did Father Philip become more
calm, and, turning to me, he said;
"Why! you have not been relieved of
your valise yet I beg your pardon. An!
my dear sir, one is anything but happy
when he has TO deal with such scampsi
But then cannot be angry with them to-
day. The whole town is topsy turvy on
account Of she Wedding"
'W hose wedding?''
''Rein? All! that's so. You have Just
arrived and could not know. 1t IS the
marriage Of Mile. Bondurand"
In uttering this last sentence Father
Philip was very probably under the i'm
preston that / was going To cEclaim:
That accounts ior itn' as he seemed
most unpleasantly surprised when / re-
piled, without dreaming that ! might
give offense: Il can't see why the mar
riage of that particular lady should have
revOlutiopiZed the Town in this way
He dlsdainfully stuck out his neither
lip, sure sign that he was pouting, or,
rs his walters would say, showing his
lip" Still, he was on the point of eX
planning why such a cause had produced
so great an effect when the rumblng Of
carriages resoauded in the street and the
ar was filed with cries of Here they
comei here they Gomez
II was the wedding-the famous wed
ding OF Nile. BOndurand--which after
the ceremony at the town hall and a
church, was passing by the hotel on IFS
way back to the brides residence. twas
followed by crowd OF idlers VINO ran
along, shouting. waving their hats. and
showing each other, even under the
horses feet. as they scrambled in the dust
after the sugar plUms the groomsmen
were throwing by handfuls through the
carriage windows.
We had posted ourselves on the stoop
to get better view Of the cortege as it
went ny. Father Philip shared in the
general enthusiasm, and seemed hugely
DELIGHTED as he pointed out TO me the fam
ily and the invited guests.
There is Monsieur Bondurand, the
brides father, il the second carriaG,
Hello, his wife is q, with him, Parbleu!
she has got into her daughters vehicle
That bald headed gentleman is our sous
prefet"
And who is that peasant woman in
full dress She seems quite impressed by
the grand company in which she findS
herself"
''That is the groom mother. old Nine
Fiorent. DoeSn t the worjhywOn,an seem
happy, Anyhow. there she i. for the
first time in her life, riding IN a car
riage."
The groom IS not a rich man. theu@'
who. Jacques FloreUt. Why, he
hasn't a cent TO his name"
And LIs wife"
Mile. Celeste Bordurand has a dowrv
of 100000 francs, without mentioning
future expectations"
e'pGew. Monsieur Jacques Fl0Tent has
fallen into a well lined nest
Father Philip smiled apr-OvinCly. As
his eve fell upon the occupants of two OF
the carriages in tho corte-o, he suddenly
exclaimed:
There they are, there they are!" They
were invited. too, il seems. THAT IS
capital joke - ne added, laughing until
The tears rolled down his lat cheeks.
- lis really n good JOKE. Do
You see JheIs'
DO see whom. don't see anything
TO laugh at.
There, in The sixth carriage, that tall
light haired man. AZ The side of that young
girl in a pink dress with a white hat j.
Monsieur de Nauvill1in the chief bailiI.
And in the other vehicle, that small. lat
man. with the lady IN green, is Monsieur
Chapuis. the wealthy Land owner. There
is no doubt Of ii, they are both invited 10
the wedding
''Why, of course they are. Father Philip.
or you would not see them in carriages
following the bride. But, tell me. why
DO you find it 50 funny that those gentle
men should he invited u Nile. Bondu-
rand's wedding
Its true, | always forget that you
have Just arrived ana have. IS yet, heard
nothing Of it. If you only knew
All! no let me laugh.
There Is an amusing story connected
with The marriage then@